Running trails in Dallas, TX
Dallas has 50 trails in the directory — 17 paved and 6 on crushed gravel or dirt, 5 loops that return to the trailhead, 4 with a stated distance, 13 shaded, and 7 open 24 hours. 33 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 25,259 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Cedar Ridge Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 5,688 reviews
Audubon nature preserve offering 9 miles of hiking trails through 600 acres of hill country habitat.
White Rock Lake Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 5,154 reviews
Green space circling an artificial lake offering trails, boating, picnicking & bird-watching.
Trammell Crow Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,301 reviews
Riverside park around a lake with a skyline backdrop, cow sculptures, soccer fields & trails.
Crawford Memorial Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,596 reviews
Large metropolitan park includes gardens, paved trails, a playground & athletic fields & courts.
Oak Cliff Nature Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,102 reviews
121 rolling acres of woodlands & wildflower meadows, with 8 miles of hike-&-bike trails.
Lakeside Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,039 reviews
Lush, creekside landscape with walking paths, benches & a bridge, plus teddy bear statues.
Harry S Moss Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 882 reviews
This single-track trail designated for mountain biking features more than 5 miles of loops.
Exall Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 708 reviews
Outdoor playground & sports fields, walking trails, picnic grills & an indoor recreation center.
Katie Jackson Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 682 reviews
This 45.5-acre park features a playground & a pavilion, plus a bike trail & picnic tables.
Glencoe Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 594 reviews
Dating to 1944, this park offers courts for basketball, softball & tennis plus trails & a play area.
Celestial Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 462 reviews
Green retreat offering running trails & steps engraved with poetry & quotes leading up to a sundial.
Coffee Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 396 reviews
This small neighborhood green space offers baseball, soccer & picnic facilities, plus a play area.
Prather Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 373 reviews
Green space with a creek, bridges, playgrounds and tennis courts.
Big Cedar Wilderness Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 373 reviews
Mountain biking and hiking trails with varying difficulty levels are offered at this spot with a public restroom.
Gateway Park & Horse Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 338 reviews
Park featuring a pond popular for fishing and jogging, plus picnic areas.
Caruth Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 310 reviews
Park established in 1949 with a fishing pond, soccer & t-ball fields, tennis courts & playgrounds.
Germany Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 293 reviews
Park featuring a 1/4-mile track with a concrete sitting area, plus other workout equipment.
Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve
4.4 ★★★★☆ 289 reviews
Park featuring a wooded trail for walks & bike rides, plus picnic tables & a pavilion.
Boulder Park Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 274 reviews
Park featuring a mix of easy-to-moderate trails (one for walkers) and ones for mountain biking.
White Rock Creek Greenbelt
4.4 ★★★★☆ 276 reviews
Park lined with paved paths, plus hiking and biking trails amid woodsy scenery.
Trinity Forest Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 214 reviews
Long paved, tree-lined trail that winds through forestland, past lakes and over the Trinity River.
Escarpment Road Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 189 reviews
Preserve with hiking trails for varying skill levels, including some that are good for kids.
Winnwood Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 209 reviews
This scenic park features a gazebo overlooking a pond with a fountain, plus trails & benches.
Twelve Hills Nature Center
4.5 ★★★★★ 183 reviews
Five-acre nature center featuring a butterfly garden with benches, walking trails & wildflowers.
Turtle Creek Parkway Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 170 reviews
Long, tranquil creekside park stretching 23.7-acres with trails, benches & nature spots.
Great Trinity Forest Gateway And Horse Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 122 reviews
Park featuring a lake with fishing, plus trails, picnic tables, and grills.
Bert Fields Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 124 reviews
This community park features open green spaces & a tree-shaded path along White Rock Creek.
Santa Fe Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 98 reviews
Family-friendly park offering playgrounds, trails and shade in an open space for walks.
Preston Ridge Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 94 reviews
Paved trail for walking, jogging and cycling, with benches and scenic views.
Trinity Skyline Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
4.6-mile recreational trail for hikers & bikers, offering views of the water, city skyline & bridge.
White Rock Creek Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 93 reviews
Easy, kid-friendly trail and park featuring carved animal sculptures and views of White Rock Creek..
L.B. Houston Nature Trails Wildwood Trailhead
3.7 ★★★★☆ 91 reviews
Relaxed park and biking area offering nature trails, fishing and picnic tables, plus wildlife views.
Piedmont Ridge Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 61 reviews
Popular trail featuring woods, inclines and prairie wildflowers.
Katy Trail South Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 50 reviews
Park featuring a paved, well-lit trail that's popular with walkers, joggers, and dogs.
Cedar Run Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 38 reviews
Walking Trails at White Rock
4.9 ★★★★★ 26 reviews
Trinity Forest Trail North
4.4 ★★★★☆ 19 reviews
David's Way
4.9 ★★★★★ 16 reviews
BigCedar MTB Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 13 reviews
Cedar Hill Park Reserve Trail
5 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
Katy Trail
5 ★★★★★ 7 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Dallas
- Match the surface to your legs. Dallas gives you a choice: 17 paved, 5 natural surface, and 1 crushed gravel. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 5 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Dallas is Oak Cliff Nature Preserve at 8 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 7 trails in Dallas are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 33 of the 50 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 4 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 29 have trailhead parking, 13 have restrooms, and 10 have a water fountain in Dallas. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 13 shaded, 3 with mile markers, 19 that runners describe as quiet, 15 dog-friendly, and 8 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Dallas trails by type
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Crushed gravel trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Dallas
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.